Forecasts predict a strong Arctic polar vortex will bring frigid temperatures and potential severe weather to the U.S. in the new year, disrupting travel and potentially causing power outages.
Forecasts continue to point toward the Arctic polar vortex bringing chilling winds across swathes of the U.S. in the new year. The polar vortex may lead to severe weather conditions, such as heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures in some regions, which could disrupt travel and lead to school closures.
According to temperature outlook data, mapped by Pivotal Weather, Tennessee, as well as parts of Kentucky, Virginia, Georgia, Alabama, Virginia, and the Carolinas were the most likely to see low temperatures, with modeling suggesting a 90 percent chance of below-average temperatures.There was an 80 percent chance in swathes of the Eastern and Southeastern U.S., with lower-than-usual temperatures also possible in a zone extending as far west as New Mexico and Wyoming.Research from AccuWeather, shared with Newsweek, indicated that bitterly cold air would sweep across much of the country by the middle of next week.AccuWeather's long-range experts predict that Arctic air surges could cause temperatures across much of the eastern and central United States to drop 10 to 20 degrees or more below the historical average next week.If the cold wave reaches its full intensity, temperatures could fall 30 to 40 degrees below the historical average across regions from the northern Plains and Midwest to the interior Southeast during the first and second weeks of January, AccuWeather said.Such widespread, extreme cold could strain power grids, potentially leading to rolling blackouts, it added.The Arctic polar vortex, as defined by the National Weather Service (NWS), is a strong west-to-east wind system that forms in the stratosphere, approximately 10 to 30 miles above the North Pole, during winter.It is always present near the poles, though it weakens during summer and intensifies in winter.The NWS says that, during winter in the Northern Hemisphere, the polar vortex often expands, carrying cold air southward alongside the jet strea
ARCTIC POLAR VORTEX SEVERE WEATHER SNOWFALL FREEZING TEMPERATURES POWER OUTAGES
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